Become a Georgia Master Naturalist!
The Georgia Master Naturalist Program is an adult environmental education program of the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources and The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. The program consists of a series of weekly field trips with specific environmental topics. The field trips combine lectures and hands-on learning that serve to connect people with local habitats and help them become engaged environmental stewards.
Travel to different locations and hear from field experts.
Phinizy Center hosted its first Georgia Master Naturalist course in Spring 2013 with a full class of 25 participants. From exploring Heggie’s Rock Preserve while learning about geology and succession, to studying longleaf pine habitats and forestry practices at Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary, to kayaking down the Augusta Canal, it was a highly successful 10 weeks which was immensely enjoyed by all. We try to mimic these experiences each year, bringing in fresh ideas and faces along the way.
Georgia Master Naturalist Program
Spring 2023
DETAILS
Join Phinizy Center staff and guest field trip leaders for a Georgia Master Naturalist program through an 11 week series.
There is an introductory, kickoff meeting on Wednesday, March 1 from 3 to 7pm at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park. Field trips start Thursday, March 2 and will begin between 8 and 9 a.m., run until 3 or 4 p.m., and include a lunch break. The final session is on May 18 and there will be no class on April 6th. Participants are required to complete 48 hours to receive a certificate. Field trips include introductions to local habitats, such as swamps, lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, and urban landscapes, and the issues affecting them. Georgia Master Naturalists are encouraged to share their knowledge with their communities by volunteering with local schools and environmental education centers.
Registration covers all field trip fees, GA Master Naturalist registration fees, a notebook with related study materials, lunch on the canal field trip, and other related materials.
Registration through our website will include a $15 processing fee.
Email ruth.mead@phinizycenter.org to inquire about registering for the class.
SPRING 2023 SCHEDULE
Wetlands & Ecology
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
Forestry
Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary
Mammalogy
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
Botanical Hike & Dendrology
Steven’s Creek & Thurmond Lake
Geology & Lichens
Heggie’s Rock
Stream Ecology
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
Field Ornithology
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
Urban Water Cycle
Augusta’s Hicks & Messerly Plants
Urban Waterways
Augusta Canal
Sandhill Ecology
Fort Gordon